The present invention relates to apparatus for contacting material such as a drug with a fluid. It particularly relates to apparatus by means of which material can be contacted with a fluid in a closed system.
PCT Specification WO 85/03432 discloses a closed drug delivery system comprising a flexible container of fluid, a cup permanently coupled to the container, and a standard glass drug vial within the cup, which is permanently closed by a cap. The cap is deformable to urge the vial downwardly, whereby a spike at the end of a conduit leading into the container is urged into the vial. Thus liquid from the container can contact material in the vial.
This system has some disadvantages. It is a sealed unit, including the container of fluid and the vial of drug. Thus every possible combination of fluid and drug must be manufactured and stocked. A manufacturer who produces containers of fluid may not wish to involve himself with the cup portions and vials of drugs and in any case it would be desirable for the same containers to be usable in other manners.
It is desirable to sterilise the filled fluid container using steam, but steam sterilisation of the cup assembly can lead to problems. It is thus necessary to steam-sterilise only the filled container portion. This is then placed in a room with the remaining components, and they are all subjected to sterilisation using a sterilising gas. The unit is then assembled within the sterilising room. Not only is this double sterilisation inconvenient, but the usual sterilising gas, ethylene oxide, may become absorbed by or dissolved in plastics components. It may leak into the fluid. Even if this does not happen, it is necessary to leave the units in ventilated storage for some time so that gas that has been taken up or adsorbed can escape. Conventionally, medical articles are over-wrapped prior to sterilisation, but in this case only the container portion can be over-wrapped. Thus the cup portion may be contaminated during the steam sterilisation process and in subsequent handling.
The manufacture of a cup with a lid such that it can be used for pressing down a vial is relatively difficult and therefore expensive; and the operation of using the lid to press down a vial is not easy.
A given cup is only suitable for a single size and shape of vial.
The present invention enables one to ameliorate one or more of the above drawbacks.